I've finally found an electric bike design I actually love

Few designs are as timeless as that of the bicycle. Like the notebook and the paperclip, the classic bike is one of the few everyday objects that are actually design masterpieces. Like most designers, I've found myself lusting after other peoples' bikes in the city on plenty of occasions, and they usually have one thing in common – the design is as simple as it gets.

Back in 2020, when cycling was even more popular than ever during the coronavirus lockdowns, I finally caved and bought the bike I'd been admiring for the longest time: Temple Cycles' Classic Lightweight. Temple bikes are everywhere in Bristol, where they're designed and assembled, and for the last five years the Classic Lightweight has been a delight to ride across the city. But with a recent move to the hilly countryside came a difficult, nay, agonising dilemma – was I prepared to sacrifice my beautiful, light bike for a chunky electric offering?

As somebody who favours design above, well, pretty much anything else (put it this way; I'm apparently the only person in the world who likes the iPhone Air), I've never loved the idea of electric bikes. With the need to accommodate a battery and motor, they're necessarily much bigger and heavier than their dainty analogue forefathers. That's probably why so many end up leaning into the blocky Cyberpunk aesthetic.

So no, I wasn't all that keen on an electric bike. But after a few weeks of attempting those hills on the Classic Lightweight, it was clear that I was going to need one. And that's when I discovered that in the years since I picked up my bike, Temple has entered the electric bike market with a model that, whisper it, looks actually looks beautiful.

Temple's Classic Electric is the first e-bike I've seen that actually warrants the name 'Classic'. Somehow, the brand has managed to retain the iconic design language of its city bikes with its electric offering. Sure, the frame is a little thicker at the front thanks to the battery, but one genius touch here is that the battery is removable, letting you charge it separately. And the addition of leather details throughout, from the handlebars to the saddle, contributes to a design that feels sophisticated rather than utilitarian, and the inclusion of lights (which run off the battery) is a helpful touch.

So how does it feel to ride? The Classic Electric is built around a Bafang M420 mid-drive motor delivering up to 80 Nm of torque. That combination provides smooth, consistent assistance that feels more like a natural boost to your pedalling than an artificial surge. In other words, while the motor assistance is impressively powerful and smooth, even on steep hills, I always felt like I was the one riding the bike. The torque sensor deserves particular praise, reacting instantly to changes in effort, so the power always matches your input rather than overwhelming it.

The Classic Electric isn't exactly cheap, at £3445 – although at the time of writing it's on sale for £1199, with a pretty whopping 41% off.

But as I mentioned, for me, design is everything. And that's exactly why I love this bike. Even in the few weeks I've been testing it, the amount of admiring comments its received is notable. And that's something that comes up a lot in the reviews on Temple's website. "Its unreaaaaal the amount of compliments I get about this bike. Some people can't tell its electric, and think its just nice regular bike," one reviewer comments, while another adds, "Had lots of admiring comments from my cycling buddies!"

And so finally, thanks to Temple, I am an e-bike convert. The only downside is that having tried it just once, my wife wants one too.